- Beggar Dane is a famous Brelish folk figure, known for practical proverbs everyone grows up hearing.
- The original Dane may never have existed — stories claim he was either a Sharn bard or an advisor to Galifar I.
- In 998 YK, a new “Beggar Dane” has emerged, speaking for the Swords of Liberty, an anti‑monarchy insurgent movement.
- Some think this new Dane is just a shared alias, but the Sharn Inquisitive believes he’s a single mastermind coordinating western cells.
- The Swords of Liberty began peacefully, pushing for King Boranel to give more power to parliament.
- Things escalated in 996 YK, when Beggar Dane claimed responsibility for an attack that burned part of the Winter Palace.
- Since then, the Swords have targeted nobles, declaring there will be no peace until the aristocracy is abolished.
- Beggar Dane accuses King Boranel of betrayal, claiming he:
- Accepted the Treaty of Thronehold
- Sheltered Cyran refugees
- Could have won the Last War but chose not to
- Is part of a Wynarn royal conspiracy
- Dane promises a “people’s army” that will unite Khorvaire and confront both Droaam and Cyran refugees.
- His identity is unknown — a masked human or half‑elf seen at rallies, protected from divination.
- He’s believed to operate from the Western Frontier, where many quietly support him even if they won’t fight.
- The Swords of Liberty differ from the Company of the Black Crown:
- Black Crown = open brigands seeking profit
- Swords = hidden insurgents seeking political revolution
- Rumours about Beggar Dane include:
- A fiend in human form
- Boranel’s “dead” daughter Borann, secretly alive
- A changeling cabal’s puppet
- A vessel for a Syranian angel of freedom
- Beggar Dane’s proverbs remain widely known, covering everyday wisdom, politics, and Brelish identity.
- The silent man has no one to blame but himself.
- The Aundairian says what he’ll do; the Brelishman does what he says.
- Help those in need, for you may need help in turn come tomorrow.
- Dreams don’t put swords in the hands of soldiers.
- You may believe that Aureon’s will gives the king his crown, but it was a Brelish smith who forged it.
More info in FoEQ p93